Jean III of Burgundy
Jean III '''(1399 - 1423), called ''the Beloved'', was a monarch of the House of Bourgogne who ruled as King of Burgundy from February 1419 until his untimely death in October 1423. His reign was dominated by instability, economic collapse, and the Second French-Burgundian War, which brought his Kingdom to the brink of ruin. Spending almost all of his four year reign defending his realm from invading French forces, and returning from the wars a shell of his former self won him the hearts of his people, who became incredibly supportive during the King's final illness. His death led to a crisis of succession and countless problems with intrigue, but ultimately he was succeeded by his three-year-old son Philippe, supported by the powerful Duke of Lorraine. Biography '''Birth Jean III was born on July 5th, 1399 to the then King Louis VII of Burgundy and his wife, Queen Adelaide. The second son of the King, preceded by an elder brother named Antoine, he was expected to amount to little in the grand scheme of the Kingdom. He was passed off to the Royal Governess, the lowly Madame de Faucigny, a distant relative of the House of Bourgogne, but incredibly poor. He was named Comte de Macon by the King on the occasion of his birth. Early Childhood His arrival was considered a good omen for the Royal House, as he auspiciously was born the day after the signing of the Treaty of Fecampe, which ended the First French-Burgundian War. Three days of festivities were held in honour of the prince and the peace, but many cast suspicious eyes on the true intentions of Louis VII in doing this, as by this point in the reign of Louis VII he had lost the trust of most of his subjects. The King was considered an intriguing man, and thus was distrusted widely. The celebrations, however, were soon followed by distress as Jean's one year elder sister Marie was poisoned. This was deduced to be a failed attempt to kill the new Prince, and the wrong child was killed. The rest of the Royal Children were kept in close hiding after this. Life in seclusion was dull for the children. Madame de Fecampe was given specific orders to allow the children out only in lesser clothing as to not distinguish them as the children of the King, and with a band of the King's guard not far behind them. The children were caught up in dozens of attempts on Louis VII's life, as his unpopularity decreased. Louis VII became hated by the Burgundian people, as a tyrannical King. He would kill servants if they so much as sighed, or slightly misprepared his dinner order, and dubious stories claimed to see him practicing sorcery. Meanwhile, Jean was brought up with his elder brother Antoine, though it became clear that Antoine was mentally incapable quickly, and he was given separate provisions. While Jean showed many qualities and talents compared to his siblings, his talent would always be overshadowed by the people's resentment of his father. The children were soon moved away from Dijon, as public fighting began against the reign of Louis VII, they went to live in Lorraine with the Duc de Lorraine. Kidnapping and Imprisonment When he was eight, discontented nobles began a plot to kidnap many of the Royal Children in one swoop. However, they succeeded only in kidnapping Jean from his room at the Duc de Lorraine's residence. He was hastily taken away and locked up in the dungeon of the Comte d'Ancy-le-Franc, far outside of Dijon, though within the Duchy of Burgundy. He had been supported by the French King, Charles VI, and when Charles VI demanded that the Prince be handed over to French authorities, Ancy-le-Franc refused the demand and was quickly murdered on the order of Charles VI. Louis VII, meanwhile, dispatched a large army force to retrieve the Prince, but the force was decimated by a French army sent to retrieve the Prince also. This began a one-week conflict over custody of Jean, which is not considered one of the legal French-Burgundian Wars, as it was not declared. Neither side won in bringing Jean under their custody, and he remained in the dungeon at the Chateau d'Ancy-le-Franc, under terrible conditions and heavy guard. Louis VII continued to try to retake his son, and laid siege to the castle at Ancy-le-Franc five times, over a two week period. With Louis VII focusing all his effort on sieging the holding of a mere Count who had offered the King his son back for an almost pitiful ransom, many nobles rose up in revolt against their weak King. This resulted in the Burgundian Civil War of 1410 - 1415. In 1411, with the death of the Count, his successor took pity on the young Prince and chose to release him back to the custody of the Royal House. Burgundian Civil War Many forces in the Burgundian Civil War wished to capture the Royal Children once more, with Jean being a primary target. After all, the Prince being captured had enabled them to revolt anyway, him being captured once more would leave Louis VII in an even more precarious position. Three attempts were also made to poison Jean, and after this he was immediately sent away quickly from Burgundy, along with his brothers, Antoine, Louis and Fontaine, sisters Raphaelle, Louise and Genevieve and cousin Frederic. They went to Italy, where they were received at the court of the Duke of Milan, until they moved on and were accepted at the court of the Pope, Gregory XII. In the middle of this, the city of Dijon itself was under siege. The great walls, almost 300 years old, torn apart under assaults and breaches. Louis VII fled the city, and went to Compiègne to set up a base. However, the Comte de Compiègne soon defected and attempted to assassinate the King, at which point Compiègne was slain and the King fled once more. In 1415, Louis VII was captured by the Duke of Liege, and forced back to Dijon. In the midst of the chaos in the city, Louis VII was pushed to his knees before the Duc de Hollande, leader of the revolt. He was forced to abdicate in the name of his incapable son Antoine, who the nobles could influence heavily, for his own safety. The Duc, however, went back on his word, after the abdication document was signed, he drew his sword and beheaded the King just as his quill fell from the paper. Reign of Antoine III As Antoine III was crowned, an uneasy peace fell on the nation. The Duc de Hollande took place as regent for the incapable Antoine, and Jean was finally allowed freedom from imprisonment or seclusion. In the reign of his brother, his life was finally free. Though he would never trust the Duc de Hollande due to the murder of his father, he developed an uneasy acquaintance with the Duc, for safety. State finances finally began to become stable again, the Burgundian Army was rebuilt, the great walls of Dijon were repaired, and the nation went back into its routine. Though all still reeled from the instability that had reigned for the past half-decade, life continued for the people. Farms began to produce more, without being sacked by passing armies. Traders increased productivity and profit, as their outposts were no longer being burnt and destroyed. Behind the scenes, though, instability continued to grow. Though Antoine III was destined to be a puppet, the Lords argued over just whose puppet he should be. Eventually, the powerful Duc de Lorraine toppled the Duc de Hollande, and exiled him back to his own territory. Lorraine was far more popular than Hollande, and political stability was restored also. The incapability and physical frailness of Antoine III led many to deduce that he was not long for this world. Antoine III was eventually crippled, constantly ill, and bedridden. The Duc de Lorraine began to panic, as he believed that Antoine's death would trigger a succession crisis. Jean, however, had a plan. As the closest legitimate heir to Antoine III, he and the Duc de Lorraine together decided to convince the King to abdicate in favour of Jean, before his death, so that a peaceful succession could be ensured. As the abdication of Antoine III was released, and Prince Jean subsequently declared King Jean III of Burgundy, it was generally accepted and peace remained. Antoine III would die just two days after the abdication was announced. Early Reign Taking the throne at age twenty, he married quickly. To secure peace with the powerful House of Artois, Jean chose to marry the daughter of the Duc de Picardie, Blanche. The marriage was ideal politically, but personally Jean loathed the match. She was dull, plain of features, uninteresting, overly zealous and lacked any humour. Rather, he much preferred his mistress, Elise de Flemalle, who he sired a son with. This son was disregarded, and handed to a peasant family to be raised away from the palace. He was named by them Baudouin Durand, but official documents later surfaced which recognised Durand as the King's son, but being a bastard he could press no claim based on this. In the future, Durand chose to maintain his place as a humble farmer, despite being of royal blood. Eventually, a true heir was conceived, as Queen Blanche became pregnant. This was celebrated for weeks by the court, as it was believed it would ensured stability for the nation. These celebrations, however, were overshadowed by storm clouds. Intelligence came in that Charles VI of France was planning an attack, at which point Jean III instantly made an alliance with the English, as both were sworn rivals of the French. Second French-Burgundian War Charles VI declared war against Jean III in October of 1419. The nation sprang into action, and the alliance with the English came into effect. Almost immediately, Burgundian forces mobilised and grouped together to form a formidable force just outside of Dijon. It was, however, in the wrong place as French forces forced into Provence and Normandy, making large gains. Meanwhile, Burgundy made light gains, advancing through Nevers before encountering a French fortress and being stuck in a long siege. Meanwhile, valiant nobles rose up against the French invaders, rallying their own levies into a larger force, and managed to repel the French advance into Normandy. They did, however, ravage Provence and Savoy. The only possibly powerful noble in the area was the Duke of Savoy, but he did not hold nearly enough power to contest the French troops in the region. After ravaging Savoy, French forces pushed through the Duchy of Burgundy itself, reaching the city walls of Dijon. Heavily pregnant Queen Blanche was forced to take up the mantle of defending the capital, in the dire situation the city faced. The encircling French forces led to the city's supplies being cut off and starvation began to set in. As consistent assaults destroyed homes and farms, Blanche was forced to open the Palais to the commoners, and share the Royal food stock out to prevent total starvation. Jean III, meanwhile, united with English support regiments landing in Normandy, to repel the French invader completely from the North. After this, they pushed southward to attempt to relieve Dijon, but were decimated in the Battle on the Seine. The shattered Burgundian cavalry rushed toward Dijon and reunited with remnants of the infantry. Jean III leading their centre, they set up base three miles away from the walls of Dijon, and began to plan. In the midst of the chaos, Dijon began to burn as a result of the assaults. The city walls were almost destroyed, and French troops managed to ambush their way into the city, and much of it was completely set alight. The Burgundian garrison retreated to behind the walls of the Chateau de Saint-Philippe, a large castle tower situated in the far east of the city. Queen Blanche and the Royal Court were about to be evacuated to Saint-Philippe, but before this was possible she fell heavily into labour. With French forces advancing on the Palais-des-Rois, and the Queen about to give birth, it was a dire situation. Jean III's forces were advancing too slowly to relieve the city in time, and utter collapse seemed imminent. In the midst of a burning city, a French advance, and collapsing Burgundian finances, a miracle came. Peasants all over the Kingdom rose up and formed a giant milita, almost 70,000 strong, and pushed into Dijon. With the Burgundian garrison rushing to defend Palais-des-Rois, this gigantic force entering the city panicked the French. Surrounded by the Burgundian garrison and by the peasant militia, they attempted to surrender. The damage inflicted, however, was too much for the Burgundians to just accept surrender. The surrounded, outnumbered French forces was decimated at the hands of the united Burgundian people. This, the famous Battle on the Palace Walls, ''would go down in history as a show of Burgundian strength. Hearing the news, Jean III's force was ecstatic. They turned around, and began to lay siege to Paris itself. In recompense for what the French had done to Burgundian civilians, the city was heavily bombarded, assaulted, and its supply lines cut off. With Paris completely starving, the city's morale was plummeting. Victorious, as morale for the Burgundians continued to rise, it almost completely destroyed when devastating news came from Dijon. The Queen had given birth to a boy, but the stress and tension caused to her with childbirth during the attack led to her death three days later. This, the People's Queen, dead at the hands of the French invaders sparked heavy desire for vengeance. When the Parisian walls fell, and the Burgundians charged the city, they immediately targeted the Hôtel Saint-Pol, where the family of Charles VI were staying. They burst through the doors of Saint-Pol, and captured Queen Isabeau of France, the Dauphin Charles, other royal cousins, holding them at ransom. The war would continue for two more years, with uneventful skirmishes and the continued Burgundian occupation of Paris, until Jean III finally left Paris with his royal prisoners, the entire French treasury, and many of the valuables belonging to Charles VI. Around this time, Charles VI became gravely ill and the fear of his death led to peace talks. The overwhelming Burgundian success in the final phases of the war led to favourable terms for Burgundy. A large indemnity paid, the rest of Provence was surrendered to Burgundy, other border territories ceded to Burgundy, the reaffirming of the Treaty of Troyes (though this would be disregarded anyway by his son, Charles VII). '''Failing Health, Death and Aftermath' Returning from war victoriously, the people cheered Jean III. The sight they saw, however, was not what they expected. They did not see their King riding their steed back to his capital, rather they saw a heavily guarded coach with blocked windows. Some confusion and concern sparked over this, but the people believed it was nothing to worry about overall. When the King reached the Palais-des-Rois, the court was in shock. They saw a man, torn apart by war, just twenty-three but looked as though he was sixty, struggle toward the throne. He needed help walking constantly, and coughed almost every 5 seconds. This haggard sight they saw contrasted to the man who had left to command his armies greatly, and it left many in panic. It was, however, the first time that Jean III would see his now three year old son, the Dauphin Philippe. It was said that one commented that there would've been a resemblance once between the King and the Dauphin, but the King was a completely different man after the war. The King's health was on a rapid decline, much to the dismay of the nation. The lack of any strong source of authority in Burgundy led to instability and weakness in the nation's military and finances. An uneasy atmosphere loomed in Dijon. The much destroyed city and heavily damaged palace in its centre, gave many unpleasant memories of the war. Even more unsettling was the fact that said palace remained occupied by the gravely ill Jean III and his family. All the while, the King was left bedridden and increasingly ill. Lords began to panic about the succession and the future of the nation should Jean III die. In late September and early October of 1423, the King's condition seemed to become more stable. He came out of his chamber and took walks in the city for the first time in years, much to the joy of the citizens. This recovery was short lived, as on the seventh of October, he collapsed in the courtyard of the Palais-des-Rois, on departing for a walk. He was carried up to his chamber, where he suffered greatly. A slow, agonising death ensued. None but the King's physician and the Queen-Mother, Adelaide, were allowed into the chamber. Days passed, and the King's condition declined. This was, however, kept a closely guarded secret. The court outside the doors were told that the King's condition was improving, and that he would likely recover in a few weeks. The agonising screams heard as a result of the many horrific treatments used had to be masked by cover of music. The Queen-Mother was forced to hold ball after ball to distract from the Royal chamber, but it worked and kept the nobility feeling secure. The young Dauphin, meanwhile, was presented numerous times to the court in order to sure up their support for the young child. The King's final decline finally came in mid-October of 1423. To end his suffering, the Queen-Mother, the Queen-Consort and the King's Physician agreed to have the King given a quick death through a painless poison. The poison was given to the King in the late night of October 15th, just as he went to sleep that night. When the physician entered the next morning, the King was dead. The Duke of Lorraine was the only landowner to hear about the King's death immediately after it had happened. He rushed to the capital, arriving at the palace under the cover of darkness. The locked doors of the Royal Chamber and the drawn curtains led to suspicion from many, but the death was kept a closely guarded secret. The signs, however, were obvious that the King was dead. Lorraine rushing from his home all the way to Dijon, entrance to the royal chamber prohibited, the King constantly "engaged in business". Arriving at the Palais, Lorraine ran through the stone-walled corridors, lined with great tapestries, crashing through the doors of the nursery, taking the now Philippe IV in his arms and stating, "My Lord, how much danger you are in, yet how little you know about it. I will swear my life to protect you..." It was two months until news of Jean III's death had to finally be released. As it was unsafe to move it, the King's body had been decomposing in the sealed Royal Chamber. The putrid stench from behind the sealed door caused ladies to faint, and nausea for everyone. When the door was finally forced open, the sight was horrific. The body had decomposed rapidly, and rats had their way in and had been feasting on it. What was left of the body was removed, placed into a large wooden casket draped with the Burgundian Standard, it was carried slowly through the long halls of the Palace, through the great hall, and down to the dungeon staircase. Even further, it was carried down to the Crypte Souterraine, and finally interred. The young King himself was sat on the long-vacant throne in the Great Hall as the procession passed it, though the Duke of Lorraine was not far away, a symbol that the new reign and the regency had begun. Issue Legitimate: With his wife, Queen Blanche d'Artois, he had one child: * Philippe IV, King of Burgundy (3rd April 1420 - Present) Illegitimate: With his lover, Elise de Flemalle, he had one child: * Baudoin Durand (17th November 1419 - 28th January 1467) Category:Monarchs of Burgundy Category:House of Bourgogne Category:14th Century Births Category:15th Century Deaths